1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle covers which can be temporarily installed on an outer surface of the vehicle for protecting the vehicle from hail and other falling objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hail is a form of precipitation which falls in the form of small balls or lumps of ice and compact snow. Although hail is generally relatively small in diameter, it has been reported to be softball size and larger. At least about half of the continental United States, from the rocky mountains to the east coast is affected by hail each year. Roughly a seven state area in the midwest and southwestern United States is particularly susceptible to hail damage. Several areas in Texas have experienced hail damage in the millions of dollars in recent years. Home owner damage including replacement of roofs, and damage to uncovered vehicles has caused insurance rates to skyrocket. In addition to individual automobiles which have been damaged, automobile dealerships typically have no way to protect new car inventory and usually resort to selling damaged vehicles at a discounted price.
Protective car covers of a variety of types are known in the prior art. Most of these covers were intended to protect the vehicle from typical outdoor weather conditions including sun, rain, snow, ice or the like but were not specifically intended to protect from falling objects such as hail. While these prior art covers may have provided some degree of minimal protection, they were not sufficient to protect from large diameter hail or were deficient in some other major regard.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,597,005 and 5,519,965 both show protective canopies which could provide drive under protection for vehicles in the event of a hail storm. However, the assemblies are complicated to erect and maintain and would be relatively expensive to produce.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,095 shows a detachably mounted windshield screen which could protect against damage caused by hail or wind driven sand but is mainly intended to shield against solar and ultraviolet radiation, thereby preventing heat buildup within the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,074 shows a hail protective vehicle cover which can be stored in the trunk of the vehicle and deployed when needed. Attaching straps and runners are utilized to hold a cloth tarp in a spaced apart relation to the top surface of the vehicle in use. Damage to the vehicle is prevented by means of the taut cloth repelling falling objects as long as it remains in a spaced apart relationship from the vehicle. Thus, the protective cover forms a type of taut trampoline over, but spaced apart from the vehicle.
The present invention has as its object to provide a protective vehicle cover that effectively protects a vehicle from hail and other falling objects and which is easily installed, removed and is compact enough to be stored in the trunk of the vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a protective vehicle cover which is lightweight, compact and has good storage capabilities.
Another object of the invention is to provide a protective vehicle cover comprised of multiple plies of material with trapped air in the form of bubbles forming a cushion to protect against hail, freezing rain and other types of falling objects.
Another object of the invention is to provide a protective vehicle cover which is simple to deploy and which includes a temporary positioning means to assist a user in installing the cover, even in windy conditions.